Crash of a Fairchild C-123J Provider in Cape Romanzof: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0647
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Elmendorf - Cape Romanzof
MSN:
20096
YOM:
1954
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a supply mission from Elmendorf AFB, carrying various equipments for scientists based at the Cape Romanzof Weather Station. On approach, the crew encountered whiteout conditions and the pilot-in-command was unable to locate the runway so he decided to make a go-around when the airplane struck a ridge located few miles northwest of the airfield and crashed. The airplane was destroyed and all five crew members were killed. The flight was performed by the Air National Guard.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter on Mt Chugach: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Fort Richardson - Fort Richardson
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the Chugach Mountains while on a one-hour training flight out from Fort Richardson-Bryant AAF near Anchorage. The pilot Joseph R. Mendes was killed.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune off Brunswick: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
147960
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Brunswick - Brunswick
MSN:
726-7210
YOM:
1958
Location:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight out from NAS Brunswick. In flight, a rocket hung up after firing and ignited a wing. The captain was able to ditch the aircraft that was lost. A crew member was killed while nine others were rescued.
Probable cause:
Rocket ignition in flight.

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 680 in Kite: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1965 at 1610 LT
Registration:
N6819S
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
680-325-19
YOM:
1956
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
2100
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snow showers. In a visibility reduced to two miles, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to maintain the flying speed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation in Carmel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1965 at 1619 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N6218C
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Boston – Newark
MSN:
4526
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
EA853
Location:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
49
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
11508
Captain / Total hours on type:
1947.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
8090
Copilot / Total hours on type:
899
Aircraft flight hours:
32883
Circumstances:
Trans World Airlines, Inc., Flight 42, (TW 42), a Boeing 707, N748TW, and Eastern Air Lines, Inc., Flight 853, (EA 853), a Lockheed 1049C, N6218C, were involved in a midair collision over the Carmel, New York VORTAC while en route to the New York City area at approximately 1619 e.s.t., December 4, 1965. TW 42 departed San Francisco, California, and was approaching the New York area from the northwest for an approach and landing at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The flight was on an IFR flight plan at an assigned altitude of 11,000 feet mean sea level (m.s.l.). EA 853 departed Boston, Massachusetts, and was approaching the New York area from the northeast for an approach and landing at the Newark Airport. This flight was on an IFR flight plan at an assigned altitude of 10,000 feet m.s.l. As EA 853 was approaching the Cannel VORTAC on a southwesterly heading, the first officer saw TW 42 at his two o'clock position. Because he believed the jet was at his altitude and on a collision course he called "Look Out" and grasped the control wheel to assist the captain in a pull up. At approximately the same time, the captain of TW 42 observed EA 853 at his ten o'clock position on what he believed to be a collision course. He rolled into a right turn and pulled back on the yoke. He decided this maneuver would not clear EA 853 and he, assisted by his first officer, attempted to reverse the turn by rolling to the left and pushing on the yoke. The aircraft collided at an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet m.s.l. While cruising at an altitude of some 10,000 feet over Carmel on approach to Newark, the four engine aircraft collided with a TWA Boeing 707-131B registered N748TW. While the crew of the B707 was able to complete an emergency landing at JFK Airport despite the fact that a piece of 7.5 meters from the left wing was torn off, the crew of the Constellation first lost control of his aircraft but then regain control and was able to make an emergency landing in a prairie located on Titicus mountain, near Carmel. Three passengers died, plus the Constellation's pilot, Captain Charles J. White, who had returned to the aircraft's cabin to help the last passenger.
Probable cause:
Misjudgment of altitude separation by the crew of EA853 because of an optical illusion created by the up-slope effect of cloud tops resulting in an evasive manoeuvre by the EA853 crew and a reactionary evasive manoeuvre by the B707 crew as well.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A near Salt Lake City: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1965 at 0715 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N485
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Lake City – Provo – Albuquerque
MSN:
4848
YOM:
1942
Flight number:
EDD065
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Captain / Total flying hours:
12361
Captain / Total hours on type:
1443.00
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a charter flight from Salt Lake City to Albuquerque with an intermediate stop at Provo, carrying football supporters. Four minutes after its departure from Salt Lake City Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when, at an altitude of 5,500 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 22 miles south of Salt Lake City. The wreckage was found 11 feet below the summit (5,449 feet) and was destroyed upon impact. All 13 occupants were killed, among them the captain Garth Edde who founded Edde Airlines in 1960. At the time of the accident, the airplane was one mile east of the intended track.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew flew under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions. The crew exercised poor judgment.
Final Report:

Crash of a Learjet 23 near Palm Springs: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1965 at 1721 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N243F
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Palm Springs – Hollywood
MSN:
23-063
YOM:
1965
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total flying hours:
15100
Captain / Total hours on type:
125.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
160
Copilot / Total hours on type:
24
Aircraft flight hours:
43
Circumstances:
About 1721 P.s.t., November 14, 1965, Lear Jet Model 23, N243F, operated as a free transportation flight by the Paul Kelly Flying Service, Inc., crashed shortly after a night takeoff from the Palm Springs Airport at Palm Springs, California. The crash was in the Indio Hills approximately 13 miles east of the airport. The six passengers and two crewmembers were fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire. The flight, which was to transport the passengers to Burbank, California, was observed to depart Runway 13 in a normal manner, commence a low-angle climbout, and accelerate to a relatively high speed. Shortly after takeoff the pilot called the Thermal, California Flight Service Station. Although station personnel responded immediately, there were no other transmissions from the flight. About this time the aircraft was observed to make a left turn beneath a low cloud base of about 3,000 feet, proceed in a northerly direction and then enter a steep dive from horizontal flight, and crash. All eight occupants were killed.


Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was spatial disorientation of the pilot, resulting in a loss of control.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor in Kahului: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1965 at 1415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N9915Z
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Honolulu – Kahului
MSN:
AF-684
YOM:
1954
Location:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
11272
Captain / Total hours on type:
500.00
Circumstances:
While approaching Kahului Airport in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located few miles from the airfield and was destroyed upon impact. The wreckage was found in a inaccessible area a day later and both occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot got disoriented in IFR conditions for undetermined reason. The airplane was under control at impact.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-22 in Salt Lake City: 43 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1965 at 1752 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7030U
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New York – Cleveland – Chicago – Denver – Salt Lake City – San Francisco
MSN:
18322
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
UA227
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
85
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
43
Captain / Total flying hours:
17743
Captain / Total hours on type:
334.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6074
Copilot / Total hours on type:
84
Aircraft flight hours:
1781
Circumstances:
Flight 227 took off from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) for a flight to San Francisco (SFO) via Cleveland (CLE), Chicago (MDW), Denver (DEN) and Salt Lake City (SLC). The aircraft took off from Denver at 16:54 and climbed to its assigned cruising altitude of FL310. At 17:38 flight 227 began its descent for Salt Lake City. The flight proceeded in accordance with radar vectors. After a radar handoff to Salt Lake City Approach Control new clearance altitudes were given. At 17:47 the approach controller advised, "United seventy twenty seven ... five miles south of Riverton Fan Marker coming on localizer course cleared for ILS runway three four left approach." The pilot replied "Okay we're slowed to two fifty (Knots) and we're at ten (10,000 feet) we have the runway in sight now, we'll cancel and standby with you for traffic." Control of the flight was transferred to the tower and at 17:49:40 landing clearance was issued. The aircraft crossed the outer marker over 2,000 fee & above the ILS glide slope. The rate of descent during the final approach exceeded 2,000 ft/min, approximately three times the United Air Lines recommended rate of descent for landing approaches. The first officer attempted to apply power but the captain stopped him. Power was then applied too late to arrest the rate of descent. The airplane touched down 335 feet short of the threshold of runway 34L. The right and left main landing gear began to separate and the airplane slid onto the runway. Severe upward and rearward impact forces from the right main Landing gear assembly produced a large impact hole and ruptured fuel lines and the no. 3 generator leads between fuselage station 1030 and 1130 on the right side. The fuel was ignited by sparks from the fuselage scraping on the runway and/or the severed generator leads. 13 passengers were uninjured while 35 people were wounded. 43 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The Board determines the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the Captain to take timely action to arrest an excessive descent rate during the landing approach.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL in Pittsburgh

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1965 at 1934 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N52
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh
MSN:
20419
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10570
Captain / Total hours on type:
2000.00
Circumstances:
The crew was performant the calibration of the ILS system at Pittsburgh-Greater Pittsburgh Airport. While approaching from the northeast, the engine stopped. The airplane lost height, struck trees and crashed in Coraopolis, some 3 miles northeast of the airfield. All three crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure caused by fuel starvation due to the left fuel selector valve poppet seal leakage.
Final Report: